1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to seed envelopes, most particularly to new seed envelopes which include an aperture covered by a transparent sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, people have used boxes or envelopes with windows in them to display a variety of products. Many of the windows have covered substantially all of the box. These patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. D.47,228; D.87,489; D.94,588; D.123,512; D.189,997; and D.294,124. Others have used smaller windows in a variety of locations covering a variety of portions of the container. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. D.260,081; D.261,861; D.290,582; and 4,890,761. However, these various designs are unsuitable for use in creating a seed envelope to package seeds. The seed envelope is in general smaller than many of the prior art designs which would not be suitable for viewing seed.
Some patents have discussed the packaging of seeds and bulbs. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,094,405; 4,168,002; and 5,158,809. However, the only one of these patents which shows the use of the seed package for allowing a person to view the seed is U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,002. This patent shows a blister pack which allows a user to see multiple types of seeds in a package. However, for the majority of seeds that are sold, such a design is not necessary. The purpose of the particular design shown in the ""002 patent is to enable a user to cut open the bottom of the blister pack to allow easy distribution of the seeds and also to allow someone to see the seeds. However, the seeds which are placed in the blister packs are coated with a material which will cause each seed to be a different color such that it is easier for a user to use the seeds. For most applications, this is unnecessary and unwanted.
It is standard in the industry to have a seed envelope which has printing on it. The printing is often a picture of a fully-grown plant which has been grown from the seed that is within the envelope. The printing defines the top and the bottom of the seed envelope. The industry standard is to seal the envelope by folding a sheet and sealing the top and the side of the envelope. The bottom is left open and the seeds are inserted into the envelope through the bottom in order to leave the top with a better, cleaner seal for the customer to open. Such practices are not practical if one desires to use an aperture in the envelope with a transparent sheet in front of it for viewing seed displayed in a display rack because this conventional practice would damage or destroy the transparent sheet.
While it is desirable to have a seed packet which allows a user to see the seeds, the structures shown in the prior art patents are unsuitable. What is needed is a simplified envelope of a size and shape similar to typical seed envelopes which customers are accustomed to but which also allows a user to see the seed that he or she is getting prior to purchasing or opening the seed envelope. The envelope should be about the size of the standard seed envelope, i.e. about 8 cm by 12 cm. This size is necessary in order for the envelope to fit on the standard seed envelope rack. In addition, the window in the seed envelope must be placed in a position on the face of the envelope and be of such a size as to allow a potential purchaser to see the seed within the seed envelope while still having sufficient structural stability to withstand the filling procedure.
Because it was discovered that purchasers desired to see the seed they were purchasing prior to purchase, structural changes were needed in the envelope.
Ideally, the seed envelope is made of a folded sheet. Folding the sheet defines the front face and the back face of the envelope. The front face includes an aperture which is covered by a transparent sheet. The aperture is closer to the bottom of the envelope than the top of the envelope. A first side and a second side of the envelope extend from the top to the bottom opposite each other. The aperture is spaced between about xc2xd cm and 2 cm from the bottom and between about xc2xd cm and 8 cm from each of the two sides. A seed envelope should be of the standard size, its height being the measure of distance between the top and the bottom and is between about 9 cm and 15 cm. The width of the envelope is the distance between its first side and second side and is between about 6 cm and about 10 cm. In any case the distance from the first side to the second side should always be less than the distance between the top and the bottom.
The transparent sheet is critical in that it must be strong enough to withstand battering or puncture by the seeds which fill the seed envelope. The tensile strength of the transparent sheet must be great enough to withstand puncture. The thickness of the transparent sheet should be about xc2xd mils. It is important that the envelope as a whole be strong enough to withstand the insertion of the seed. If a seed envelope including an aperture and transparent sheet is filled from the bottom, i.e., nearer the aperture and transparent sheet, the transparent sheet will rupture and spill seed during filling. Thus, the envelope should be filled from the top rather than the standard bottom filling.
The seed envelope need not be filled the entire way with seeds and as a rule seed envelopes are not filled entirely with seeds. Instead, the seed envelope should be filled with seeds such that the seeds are visible through the transparent sheet and aperture.